This snippet from the article makes me want to cry.



When traveling for leisure I carry plenty of ones and quarters but it is for bus or subway fare so I can avoid having to tip a shuttle or taxi driver. I also stay in lower end budget hotels so no worries about tipping hotel employees either. Now traveling for work everything is reimbursed and I have no problem tipping shuttle drivers or hotel employees that help me with my bag or any other personalized service.

The only profession that I don't mind tipping is food servers, bartenders, and the like since they rely on tips because they are paid less than minimum wage, however shuttle drivers or hotel employees I will grudgingly tip if I do use the service, but I go out of my way as much as possible especially when traveling on my own dime to avoid using the service and thus the pressure to tip.

So you didn't complete finishing school?

Cab or a shuttle to the airport-----tip the driver.
Curbside check-in----- tip again
shuttle to the hotel--tip the driver
Bellman takes your luggage to the lobby--- tip him
Get to your room-------- tip the other bellman.
Have I left anyone out?

So you didn't get the meaning of smart?

The maid, the FD clerk if you want a �free� room upgrade, the bellman if you want something special like in-room entertainment that is live and not on TV, the hostess at the restaurant if you don't want to wait 40 minutes like everyone else, the concierge to get you tickets to a sold out event, the masseuse, the security guard to pimp slap the collage partiers in the next room�

Same here.

I really, really hate it when hotels insist on bringing your bag to your room. I do not travel with more luggage than I can handle myself, normally it is a trolley case which is easy to carry. I do not want my luggage out of my sight any more than necessary, to avoid theft. I do not want to arrive in my room and not be able to relax immediately because I have to wait for the door to be answered with my case.

When travelling by taxi (we don't really have shuttles in the UK) I will lift my bags in and out myself, particularly my hand luggage and iPad, then I am responsible and I alone if anything is damaged.

I therefore hate it even more when I am effectively asked for a tip for a service that I actively do not want.

Far better in Europe where this service is never offered unless specifically requested in any vaguely normal hotel (it may be in 5* establishments but I never stay in those).

Neil

Don't think I'd employ him then. The effort needs to go in in the good and the bad times.

Neil

You need to pay your employees. You need to pay your employees enough so that they are not spending their money for gas to work for you. I will encourage everyone who is not paid by their employeeenough to quit or go on strike.

Agree. This should be provided by the employer, not tips.

Time the US followed much of the rest of the civilised world and changed the law so tips may not make up part of the minimum wage.

Neil

Here's a great idea.

The hotel pays each person involved a good, living wage. The price increases to cover this. Then, if we receive truly exceptional service, we tip. If we receive awful service, we request a discount from our bill, as we might do anyway.

Is that not just *easier*?

Neil

Makes me glad a lot of my travel is in Japan. None of that is neccessary.

This past Sunday evening I returned to CVG from LGA. The shuttle driver was a great guy and he cheerfully loaded my (heavy) bags into the car for me. I had a five in my hand and went to press it into the driver's hand as I was thanking him. At this point a funny pantomime ensued. Me trying to give him the money, him trying to get it without touching my hand, it took me a second to figure out that he was of a faith/culture that prohibited a man touching a woman not of his family.

Some parts of the US are in agreement with you. California does not permit paying wait staff below minimum wage, and the CA minimum wage is higher than the Federal minimum wage. Wish every state would do this.

So if CA servers make at least minimum wage are we still expected to tip 15-20% in that state? I was under the impression that it is still expected as I have tipped in that range every time I go out to eat in California.

Sadly if the price of the hotel room and everything was raised slightly to pay the employees higher so we don't have to tip, they would still expect tips and consider you cheap if you didn't tip and provide lousy service accordingly. Sorta like ordering room service where there is a service charge and gratuity already included, and the delivery person expects a tip on top of it all.

I really do not like the tipping culture but what can you do?

I call them on it. If the tip is included on the bill I ask the waitperson if the gratuity is included and they say yes, I put a zero in the tip line, circle the added gratuity and sign the check.

I hate the tip jar at bars in catering functions in union hotels (and some non-union). The bartender is paid a percentage of the total as a gratuity. The drinks thet the host pays for also have a gratuity added on.

That just screams greed...

I don't mind tipping, I just don't like to do it twice.